Traffic Fees On Road To Nowhere

Sorry to steal the headline from the L.A. Daily News front-page story on Sunday, but the following paragraphs caught me attention:

"Developers have paid nearly $5 million in traffic fees over the past two decades to help ease congestion on Ventura Boulevard, but the city hasn't spent a dime of it on actual transit improvements, the Daily News has learned.

"While the Department of Transportation spent $120,000 to plant trees and install furniture along the San Fernando Valley's main drag, some $1.4 million went for administrative expenses - nearly triple what the city law allows, according to a review of records.

"The rest of the money has gone unused."

Hmmm ... now where else have I seen something about "administrative expenses" recently?

"It is the intent of the Legislature that the board shall transmit the payments, less refunds and the board's costs of administration, to the Treasurer to be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Adult Entertainment Impact Fund." [AB 1551]

Well, let me say right here that I have no doubt whatsoever that Calderon's new "Adult Entertainment Impact Fund" will definitely distribute more than 11.7% of its gross revenues to whoever the hell it can figure out was harmed by the (non-existent) "adverse secondary effects" of adult businesses in the state, and that there is no way in hell that it will use 88.3% of those revenues to provide cushy salaries and other perks for the bureaucrats who will be chosen to staff the "Adult Entertainment Impact Fund."